Preaching Next Sunday

Today we attended church at St. Paul's Lutheran Church.  It's been a while since we attended a service at St. Paul's and it was good to take in a traditional Lutheran service again.  After that it was a day of taking Maddie shopping for winter boots and then back home to spend a lazy afternoon at home.  This evening I drove Maddie back to Lincoln and as always I was sad to have to leave my little girl.  Maddie has grown up so much already this year and we're very, very proud of her and how hard she's working on her classes.

Next Sunday I'll be covering for my good friend Howard Blecha down in Humboldt, NE and preaching at the Christian Church.  Howard preaches from the Lectionary and so I'll be following that tradition and preaching over the Gospel of Luke, chapter 19:1-10.

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

I have to tell you that when I saw what the verse was that I would be preaching over I was very excited.  This is a great story and one that has so many levels to it from which to preach.  The biggest problem may well be keeping the sermon to a manageable length.

With any luck I'll have the sermon recorded and I will post a copy here next week.

Until then, may you all be well and blessed.

In His absolute love and grace!

Roy